Otti Targets Seven Sectors to Attract Investment Capital to Abia

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has identified seven priority sectors through which his administration plans to attract investment capital, deepen industrialisation and accelerate economic growth in the state.

Otti disclosed this on Thursday at the Meet the Governor Series of the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce in Lagos, where he spoke on the theme, “Repositioning Abia for Enterprise, Industrialisation and Sustainable Economic Growth.”

The governor listed the priority sectors as agribusiness and agro-processing, trade and markets, the creative and digital economy, manufacturing and industrialisation, small and medium enterprise growth, inclusive finance and diaspora investment, and innovation.

Declaring that Abia was open for business, Otti said his administration had, over the last 39 months, focused on removing barriers to productivity and creating an environment that encourages investment and value creation.

He said reforms in fiscal governance and infrastructure were designed to make the state more attractive to businesses and investors.

According to him, Abia’s 2026 budget of N1.016 trillion allocated 80 per cent to capital expenditure, which he described as the highest per-resident capital spending in the country based on available national expenditure figures.

Otti also said the state’s projected internally generated revenue of N223.4 billion was expected to cover recurrent expenditure, while Abia ranked fourth in the BudgIT States Fiscal Transparency League in the fourth quarter of 2025.

On healthcare, the governor said the state’s 15 per cent budgetary allocation to the sector had contributed to Abia topping the national chart on health emergency preparedness.

He added that a security assessment conducted by Phillips Consulting had also ranked the state favourably on the safety of lives and property.

Otti said 414 roads had been completed across the state, with another 82 under construction. He added that more than 10,000 solar-powered streetlights had been installed in Aba, Umuahia and Ohafia.

The governor further said Abia currently had the lowest cost of public transportation per kilometre in the country, attributing this to investments in road infrastructure and green shuttle buses.

According to him, the investments were helping to reduce business overheads and turnaround time while creating opportunities for increased economic activity.

Otti identified investment opportunities in plantation, processing, manufacturing and off-take segments, particularly in livestock ranching, dairy, cashew, cocoa and rubber production.

He also highlighted garment manufacturing, ceramics and leather works as opportunities within the industrial sector, while pointing to Enyimba Hotels and Ibom Waterfall as potential tourism investments.

Speaking during a fireside chat, the governor identified the proposed Azumini-Obeaku Seaport as a potential trade and logistics gateway for the state. He also disclosed plans for an industrial park and a medical city.

Otti said businesses that had previously left Abia were returning because of lower transportation, rental and security costs, as well as increasing population and public spending, which he said were driving consumer demand.

The President of the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce, Abimbola Olashore, said Aba’s longstanding manufacturing heritage provided a strong foundation for industrial growth.

However, he stressed that investors required predictable policies, functional institutions and quality infrastructure before committing capital.

Olashore said the government’s responsibility was to provide an enabling environment, while the private sector should bring capital, expertise and entrepreneurial capacity.